1999 Ram 2500 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
422 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 1999 Ram 2500, alongside 2 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 14/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Brakes & stability leads the reports, typically around 61,500 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 1999 Ram 2500 has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 1999 sits among all 2500 years
What owners report
“Vehicle parked in 1st gear with emergency brake on, both failed resulting in collision with car and garage when vehicle rolled.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1999 2500
“Dash pad on top of dash started cracking into pieces. Could be dangerous in a crash or air bag deployment”— owner report to NHTSA, 1999 2500
“Inspected and verified no 5th gear - transmission has no uetrasl where 5th should be - suspect nut and gear backed off - found nut and gear backed off, this has been happening for quiet some time, this information was told us by the dealership that made the repairs and a personal friend that is a…”— owner report to NHTSA, 1999 2500
“When brakes are applied, the steering wheel locks up, several repair attempts however vehicle continues to experience lock up. Yh”— owner report to NHTSA, 1999 2500
“199 doge ram ext cab 4x4, diesel - ball joints and front bushings wearing out and need to be replaced with less than 48,000 miles on vehicle”— owner report to NHTSA, 1999 2500
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 225 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 80,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 49,300 and 113,500 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (2)
AFFINIA IS RECALLING 5,700 AFTERMARKET CHASSIS TIE ROD ASSEMBLIES MANUFACTURED FROM MARCH 28, 2006 THROUGH MARCH 17, 2008, SOLD FOR USE ON MY 1998 AND 1999 DODGE RAM 2500 AND 3500 HEAVY DUTY TRUCKS. THE DUST SEAL SUPPLIED WITH THE CHASSIS TIE RODS WERE…
Fix: AFFINIA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE AFFECTED CHASSIS TIE ROD ASSEMBLIES FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING APRIL 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT AFFINIA AT 734-827-5400.
CERTAIN REPLACEMENT K&N FUEL PERFORMANCE KITS, P/NOS. 57-1509, 57-1511, 57-1511-1, 57-1517, 57-1517-1, 57-1527, AND 57-1530. ALSO, A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THESE KITS WERE SOLD UNDER THE MOPAR PERFORMANCE PARTS BRAND NAME (P/NOS. P5007069 AND P5007070). ALL…
Fix: K&N WILL PROVIDE OWNERS WITH A FREE REPAIR KIT ALONG WITH REPAIR INSTRUCTIONS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 20, 2006.
Federal defect investigations
Technical service bulletins
18 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on body & structure and electrical — are on file for the 1999 Ram 2500. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 1999 Ram 2500 reliable?
The 1999 Ram 2500 drew 422 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 14/100, scored against the model's worst year (2018).
What are the most common 1999 Ram 2500 problems?
The top reported problems for the 1999 Ram 2500 are brakes & stability (81 complaints), body & structure (54), and other (41).
At what mileage do 1999 Ram 2500 problems show up?
Owners most often report 1999 Ram 2500 problems around 80,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 49,300 and 113,500 miles.
Does the 1999 Ram 2500 have recalls?
2 recall campaigns apply to the 1999 Ram 2500. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.